NHL DFS: The 101 Guide By sdchickens
Steve Renner (SDCHICKENS), 2018 DK NHL Live Final Qualifier breaks down his lineup construction process for NHL DFS in the NHL DFS 101 guide.
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 9/25 Preseason
UPDATES HIGHLIGHTED IN RED *Note – These write-ups will be more detailed during the regular season as skater lines, data, and other factors are more clearcut. Games on the Slate Florida Panthers at Tampa Bay Lightning Carolina Hurricanes at Nashville Predators Washington Capitals at St. Louis Blues Detroit Red Wings at Chicago Blackhawks San Jose Sharks at Calgary Flames Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers Top Goalies Cam Ward (CHI) Ward will see the full game tonight for the Blackhawks as Chicago will have most of its big guns in play, especially on defense. The Red Wings offense, although there is some talent there, is ticketed to be one of the lowest scoring teams in the league this season. David Rittich (CGY) Although he’s slated to play two periods, Rittich has a good matchup at a good salary tonight with Calgary skating most of their regulars. Rittich is confirmed to split the game with Jon Gillies, keep that in mind. Cam Talbot (EDM) Cam Talbot looked more like “Scam” Talbot in his last start, a sight to all of, mostly me, who rostered him a ton last season. Even still, against a poor Vancouver team, Talbot is in play especially as a correlation play with the McDavid line. Andrei Vasilevskiy (TB) The Vasi play is a high-risk high reward proposition against a dangerous Florida team. I, however, will NOT be going this route, but we have gotten clarity in his playing time and he is expected to go the full 60 minutes. He should see a ton of shots, and when he’s on, he’s proven to be one of the best goaltenders in the league. He’s an option if you find yourself staying away from the Florida skaters tonight. Key Three Skaters This section will cover my three favorite skaters for a particular slate overall. Connor McDavid (EDM) McDavid has led the charge for one of the more productive lines this preseason with Ty Rattie and Ryan Nugen-Hopkins by his side. Night in and night out, McDavid is far and away the top option to roster at the center position. He’s going to be a popular play, almost every night, but in this spot at this low of a salary, he’s a very, very tough fade. Nikita Kucherov (TB) Kucherov skates on the Lightning second line with Brayden Point centering and Ondrej Palat manning the opposite wing. The 25-year-old is coming off of a 39 goal, 100 point season, both career highs and had six points, three goals in four games against the Panthers last season. The Russian winger is a force with the puck on his stick, especially with the man advantage as Kucherov had eight goals and 36 points in such situations last season. Vladimir Tarasenko (STL) Vladdy saw 17 minutes of ice time in his first preseason action of the year on Thursday night and had an assist and two shots on goal. Skating on the first line with the Blues “A” squad expecting to hit the ice tonight, look for a strong effort from Tarasenko against the Capitals who will have backup goalie Phoenix Copley in net for the full 60 minutes. Sneaky Skater Sammie Blais (STL) Blais has scored in all three preseason games he’s seen, four goals in total and the 22-year-old continues to wow in all facets. He has 10 shots on goal in his three games of action and has held his own defensively posting a +2 rating to this point. Top Positional Plays Center Steven Stamkos (TB) Evgeny Kuznetsov (WAS) Aleksander Barkov (FLA) Vinnie Trocheck (FLA) Sean Monahan (CGY) Brayden Schenn (STL) Brayden Point (TB) Ryan O’Reilly (STL) Jonathan Toews (CHI) Ryan Johansen (NSH) Nick Schmaltz (CHI) Wing Alex Ovechkin (WAS) Vladimir Tarasenko (STL) Patrick Kane (CHI) Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) Mike Hoffman (FLA) Jonathan Huberdeau (FLA) Evgenii Dadonov (FLA) Viktor Arvidsson (NSH) Filip Forsberg (NSH) Ty Rattie (EDM) Alex DeBrincat (CHI) J.T. Miller (TB) Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (EDM) Ondrej Palat (TB) Kevin Fiala (NSH) Patrick Maroon (STL) Jesse Puljujarvi (EDM) Timo Meier (SJ) Defense Roman Josi (NSH) Victor Hedman (TB) P.K. Subban (NSH) Alex Pietrangelo (STL) John Carlson (WAS) Keith Yandle (FLA) Oscar Klefbom (EDM) Duncan Keith (CHI) Ryan Ellis (NSH) Mikhail Sergachev (TB) Colton Parayko (STL) Brent Seabrook (CHI) Noah Hanifin (CGY) Favorite Line Stacks Florida Panthers Second Line Huberdeau – Trocheck – Hoffman Edmonton Oilers First Line Nugent-Hopkins – McDavid – Rattie Tampa Bay Lightning Second Line Palat – Point – Kucherov Nashville Predators First Line Fiala – Johansen – Forsberg GOOD LUCK!!
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 9/24 Preseason
UPDATES HIGHLIGHTED IN RED *Note – These write-ups will be more detailed during the regular season as skater lines, data, and other factors are more clearcut. Games on the Slate New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers Boston Bruins at Philadelphia Flyers Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars Winnipeg Jets at Calgary Flames Arizona Coyotes at Anaheim Ducks Colorado Avalanche at Vegas Golden Knights Top Goalies Malcolm Subban (VGK) Per Jesse Granger, Subban is expected to see the full 60 minutes tonight against the Avalanche who are resting all of their notable skaters. Expect Subban to walk away with a win and a solid save number. He’s the highest priced netminder on tonights slate while probably being the safest. Antti Niemi (MTL) Niemi, the Canadiens projected back up once the season gets going, will see the full game tonight against the Maple Leafs who will be resting almost all of their regulars. Anton Kudobin (DAL) Khudobin is another netminder seeing the full game against the Wild who are not playing their top two lines or top four defensemen. Eddie Lack (NJ) Lack will see the full game with most of the Devils’ regulars in play in front of him facing the Rangers who will also have most of their starters in play. Laurent Brossoit (WPG) Broissoit has been good in the preseason to this point and will see the full game against Calgary tonight. Key Three Skaters This section will cover my three favorite skaters for a particular slate overall. William Karlsson (VGK) Wild Bill was the centerman for one of the leagues top lines a season ago with Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith. That trio will be together tonight for the Golden Knights in a favorable matchup against the Colorado Avalanche. Taylor Hall (NJ) The reigning Hart Trophy award winner victimized the Rangers last season with five points in four games. Skating on the first line with Nico Hischier and Kyle Palmieri, Hall should produce against the Rangers team that is very thin defensively and very thin all over the ice to be completely honest. Taylor Hall was traded from Edmonton for Adam Larsson, a trade the Oilers fans will never forget. James van Riemsdyk (PHI) JVR is making his homecoming back to the Flyers, the team that made him a first round pick years ago. Now, a seasoned veteran, JVR skates on the Flyers’ second line along with Nolan Patrick and Jake Voracek. JVR was among the leaders in high danger scoring chances per 60 minutes last season and on a gritty, smash-mouth team we can expect much of the same from the winger again. Sneaky Skater Roope Hintz (DAL) The youngster will see top line minutes tonight in place of Tyler Seguin and will skate with Jamie Benn and Alex Radulov; two top-flight wingers in terms of scoring chances and high danger scoring chances. Top Positional Plays Center Nico Hischier (NJ) Nolan Patrick (PHI) Ryan Getzlaf (ANH) Mika Zibanajad (NYR) Jason Spezza (DAL) Paul Stastny (VGK) Jack Roslovic (WPG) Wing Jonathan Marchessault (VGK) Kyle Palmieri (NJ) Reilly Smith (VGK) Jake Voracek (PHI) Corey Perry (ANH) Max Pacioretty (VGK) Jamie Benn (DAL) Claude Giroux (PHI) Alex Radulov (DAL) Mats Zuccarello (NYR) Nikolaj Ehlers (WPG) Ryan Donato (BOS) Travis Konecny (PHI) Brendan Perlini (ARI) Pavel Buchnevich (NYR) Defense Shayne Gostisbehere (PHI) John Klingberg (DAL) Cam Fowler (ANH) Ivan Provorov (PHI) Esa Lindell (DAL) Jacob Trouba (WPG) Josh Morrissey (WPG) Brandon Montour (ANH) Niklas Hjalmarsson (ARI) Favorite Line Stacks Vegas Golden Knights First Line Marchessault – Karlsson – Smith New Jersey Devils First Line Hall – Hischier – Palmieri Philadelphia Flyers Second Line Van riemsdyk – Patrick – Voracek GOOD LUCK!!
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 9/22 Preseason
*Note – These write-ups will be more detailed during the regular season as skater lines, data, and other factors are more clearcut. Games on the Slate Toronto Maple Leafs at Buffalo Sabres Boston Bruins at Detroit Red Wings Ottawa Senators at Montreal Canadiens Nashville Predators at Tampa Bay Lightning Anaheim Ducks at Arizona Coyotes Vancouver Canucks at Calgary Flames Vegas Golden Knights at San Jose Sharks Top Goalies Antti Raanta (ARI) Raanta, the starter for the Coyotes once the regular season gets going will start tonight’s contest along with most of the Arizona regulars. Expect him to see a fair amount of shots and put forth a productive performance. Zane McIntyre (BOS) McIntyre is expected to see all three periods tonight against an offensively challenged Red Wings team. Carey Price (MTL) Price is in play tonight against the Senators and expected to see the full game in between the pipes. Montreal will have most of their regular skaters in play so I would expect Price to get enough support and see enough shots to pick up a win and a solid amount of saves. Key Three Skaters This section will cover my three favorite skaters for a particular slate overall. Jack Eichel (BUF) Jack had a goal the other night along with four shots on goal in 22 minutes of ice time against the Penguins. Expect Eichel to see similar ice time and with his skill and general shot volume he’s a great play at the center position. Auston Matthews (TOR) Matthews, the other center in the Sabres – Leafs tilt is also in a great spot tonight centering Toronto’s top line. Matthews had a goal, three shots on goal, and two blocked shots in his last game against Ottawa seeing a shade under 20 minutes of ice time. Look for him to push the pace tonight in what should be a great matchup of two of the bright young centers in the game. Viktor Arvidsson (NSH) Arvy proved to be one of Nashville’s most dependable scoring options last season seeing the ice in all situations. With the Lightning playing a lot of their lower level and sub players, look for Arvy to generate a high volume of scoring chances tonight. Sneaky Skater Tage Thompson (BUF) The young prospect for the Sabres has impressed throughout camp and is getting a big opportunity tonight. He’ll slide on to the Sabres’ top line with Eichel and Jeff Skinner. Top Positional Plays Center Sean Monahan (CGY) Jonathan Drouin (MTL) Logan Couture (SJS) Kyle Turris (NSH) Joe Thornton (SJS) David Krejci (BOS) Paul Stastny (VGK) Wing Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) Joe Pavelski (SJS) Evander Kane (SJS) Max Pacioretty (VGK) Jeff Skinner (BUF) Clayton Keller (ARI) Mark Stone (OTT) Patrick Marleau (TOR) Brendan Gallagher (MTL) Tomas Tatar (MTL) Matt Tkachuk (CGY) Danton Heinen (BOS) Filip Zadina (DET) Tyler Ennis (TOR) Alex Killorn (TB) Defense Oliver Ekman-Larsson (ARI) Brent Burns (SJS) Jeff Petry (MTL) Rasmus Ristolainen (BUF) Jake Gardiner (TOR) Ryan Ellis (NSH) Rasmus Dahlin (BUF) Ryan McDonagh (TB) Favorite Line Stacks San Jose Sharks First Line Kane – Thornton – Pavelski Buffal0 Sabres First Line Skinner – Eichel – Thompson GOOD LUCK!!
NFL DFS: Week 3 Top Stacks
We had a bit of a mixed bag last week among the three stacks to consider. The Redskins (Alex Smith, Adrian Peterson, Jamison Crowder) turned out to be an unmitigated disaster as the ‘Skins were able to put up just nine points against the Colts’ shitty defense. The Panthers (Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey, Devin Funchess) proved to be productive as did the Lions (Matthew Stafford, Golden Tate, Kneey Golladay). On to week three…. Philadelphia Eagles Carson Wentz, Corey Clement, Nelson Agholor The Eagles will welcome back Carson Wentz after rehabbing a brutal knee injury that he sustained last season. He and the Eagles face a Colts defense which looked good against the Redskins last week but generally are not very good. Wentz faces a soft matchup in his first game back and Nelson Agholor who has seen 22 targets through two weeks with Nick Foles under center figures to play a prominent role against a piss poor Colts secondary. Corey Clement should be the workhorse in the backfield for the Eagles who are favored in this matchup. Jay Ajayi and Darren Sproles have both been ruled out leaving Clement, who will be a popular option, the likely recipient of the majority of touches out of the backfield. Assuming that the Colts are trailing in this game, the clear-cut option to roll this Eagles stack back with is T.Y. Hilton. Los Angeles Rams Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Cooper Kupp This Rams offense might not be the greatest show on turf, but for my money, they are certainly close as it pertains to fantasy. The options are limited for them in terms of where the ball is going to go. Jared Goff has taken a big step forward as the Rams’ leader under center and has the best running back in football right behind him. Todd Gurley is a throwback. He’s a workhorse in the backfield; something we don’t see too much these days. The University of Georgia product has touched the ball 23 and 22 times respectively over the last two weeks and is coming off of an efficient 108 on 20 carry game against the Raiders. Cooper Kupp is as steady as they come for slot receivers and value receiver at that. Kupp has played all but two snaps thus far through two weeks and has 11 catches on 15 targets with a touchdown over that span. He’s just $4,900 on DK where there’s a chance I won’t have a lineup without him this week. Mike Williams would be the guy that I would run this Rams stack back within tournaments. Ideally, the Rams defense will aim to shut down Keenan Allen leaving more opportunity for Williams, a high draft pick and value option on both sites, to capitalize. New Orleans Saints Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas PSA: This will be expensive, especially with AK and MT. Brees is too cheap, especially on DK where he might as well be free for God’s sake. We all saw what Cam and CMC did to the Falcons last week. CMC caught 14 passes for over 100 yards. It’s clear that the Falcons defense is behind the eight ball without Deion Jones and Keeanu Neal there to limit the damage as it pertains to receptions to opposing running backs. To be honest, I have no fucking clue how they could possibly keep Kamara in check this week. He’s the best pass-catching back in the league right now (it’s not really close) and his volume is there. Michael Thomas has 30 targets and 28 catches through two games with three touchdowns under his belt. MT was able to accumulate 14 receptions and 183 yards last season in two games against the Falcons. I think Atlanta hangs around in this game and for that reason, Tevin Coleman is someone that interests me with Devonta Freeman out and will save some salary. GOOD LUCK!!
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 9/21 Preseason
*Note – These write-ups will be more detailed during the regular season as skater lines, data, and other factors are more clearcut. Games on the Slate Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes Chicago Blackhawks at Ottawa Senators Buffalo Sabres at Toronto Maple Leafs Tampa Bay Lightning at Nashville Predators Columbus Blue Jackets at St. Louis Blues Calgary Flames at Winnipeg Jets Top Goalies Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) Helly is making his preseason debut tonight and if it’s any indication as to how Paul Maurice has treated the goalies thus far in the preseason, look for Helly to play the duration of this game with some big named skaters in front of him. Chad Johnson (STL) Johnson will be in net for the duration of the game against the Blue Jackets who are not sending any of their top forwards or defensemen with the exception of a couple. There will be no Cam Atkinson, Alex Wennberg, Nick Foligno, Seth Jones, and they’re obviously still without Artemi Panarin and Zach Werenski. Johnson was solid in two periods of work on Tuesday stopping 15 of 16 shots faced against the big guns of the Dallas Stars. Pekka Rinne (NSH) Rinne will be in net tonight, but it’s unclear as of now how long he’ll go. Regardless, he faces a Lightning team at home that will be without all of their top skaters. I’ll keep tabs on Rinne’s expected length. Curtis McElhinney (TOR) McElhinney gets the nod tonight for the Leafs against the Sabres who are sitting most of their big names who will be in action Saturday. McElhinney will have the far superior team in from of him with guys like Tavares, Marner, Rielly, etc taking the ice. The presumed Leafs backup once the regular season kicks into gear saw 13 shots in hi only preseason action thus far and stopped 12 of them in two periods of work. Key Three Skaters This section will cover my three favorite skaters for a particular slate overall. Mark Scheifele (WPG) Scheifele will assume his regular role centering the first line of an offensively gifted Winnipeg Jets team. He’s flanked by team captain Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor. The Kitchener, Ontario native is coming off of an injury-laden season in which he played in just 60 games but was still able to produce 23 goals and 60 points. Over the last two seasons, Scheifele has averaged over 20 minutes of ice time per game seeing time on the power play and penalty kill. John Tavares (TOR) Tavares made his debut with the Leafs on Tuesday and got right to work with two goals and an assist. Tavares was centering a line that consisted of Mitch Marner and Zack Hyman and made an immediate impact on those two youngsters, Marner in particular who had a goal and two assists. Vladimir Tarasenko (STL) Tarasenko will be seeing his first action of the preseason and is expected to slide on to the Blues’ first line with Ryan O’Reilly at center with the opposite winger not clear at this point. Tarasenko is looking to come back after a down year for his standards. He finished last season with 33 goals and 66 points in 80 games. For reference, Vlad scored 39, 40, and 37 goals over the last three seasons respectively. Look for the sniper to come out firing in this home matchup against Columbus. Sneaky Skater Sammy Blais (STL) Blues Head Coach Mike Yeo has been impressed with Blais thus far to the point of which he said: “if he continues to play like that, it’s going to be tough to not find a spot for him.” What Yeo was referring to was the performance of Blais, 22, on Tuesday against the Wild. In that matchup, he netted a goal and was flying all over the ice while firing nine shots on goal. Blais had 17 goals and 23 assists in 42 games in the AHL last season and will have another opportunity to impress tonight. Top Positional Plays Center John Tavares (TOR) Mark Scheifele (WPG) Jordan Staal (CAR) Ryan Johansen (NSH) Nicklas Backstrom (WAS) Nazem Kadri (TOR) Ryan O’Reilly (STL) Matt Duchene (OTT) Brayden Schenn (STL) Dillon Dube (CGY) – The 20-year-old had 38 goals and 84 points in 53 games last season for the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL. Wing Blake Wheeler (WPG) Kyle Connor (WPG) Sebastian Aho (CAR) Filip Forsberg (NSH) Mitch Marner (TOR) T.J. Oshie (WAS) Zach Hyman (TOR) Justin Williams (CAR) Craig Smith (NSH) Kevin Fiala (NSH) Jakob Vrana (WAS) Alex Formenton (OTT) – The speedster had 29 goals and 48 points in 48 games for the London Knights of the OHL. Andrew Mangiapane (CGY) – Had 21 goals and 46 points in 39 games last season for the Stockton Heat of the AHL. Eeli Tolvanen (NSH) – Played in the KHL last season and in the prior two seasons was a heavy point producer for the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL. The 19-year-old will slot in on the Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg line. Alexander Volkov (TB) Defense Roman Josi (NSH) P.K. Subban (NSH) Dougie Hamilton (CAR) Jaccob Slavin (CAR) Justin Faulk (CAR) Morgan Rielly (TOR) Mikhail Sergachev (TB) Matt Niskanen (WAS) Thomas Chabot (OTT) Juuso Valimaki (CGY) – Just 19-years-of-age, had 45, 61, and 32 points respectively each of the last three seasons for the Tri-City Americans of the WHL. Favorite Line Stacks Winnipeg Jets First Line Connor – Scheifele – Wheeler Nashville Predators First Line Tolvanen – Johansen – Forsberg Toronto Maple Leafs First Line Hyman – Tavares – Marner Washington Capitals First Line Vrana – Backstrom – Oshie GOOD LUCK!!
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 9/20 Pre-Season
*Note – These write-ups will be more detailed during the regular season as skater lines, data, and other factors are more clearcut. Games on the Slate New Jersey Devils at New York Islanders Chicago Blackhawks at Detroit Red Wings Dallas Stars at Minnesota Wild Winnipeg Jets at Edmonton Oilers San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks Top Goalies Cam Talbot (EDM) Talbot, who is Edmonton’s starter is slated to start and play the entire game tonight against an under-manned Winnipeg Jets team. Talbot stopped 22 of 23 shots faced in his preseason debut and is in line for a strong effort tonight. Anton Forsberg (CHI) Forsberg saw much more action last season than any could’ve expected, 26 games to be exact, with the injury bug biting Corey Crawford. Forsberg is expected to start this game against Detroit, a team that last year had all kinds of issues scoring goals and will likely not have key forwards Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, or Justin Abdelkader tonight after playing into overtime last night. Devin Dubnyk (MIN) The unquestioned starter in net for the Wild heading into the season, Dubnyk will see his first preseason action tonight against the Stars. Expect him to see two periods of action and play as a solid option at $7,400. Key Three Skaters This section will cover my three favorite skaters for a particular slate overall. Patrick Kane (CHI) After a down year for the Blackhawks, Kane included, there is some redemption to be had for the group from the “Windy City.” Kane’s 76 points were his fewest since the 2014-2015 campaign when he had 64 points in just 61 games. Look for Kane to take advantage against the Red Wings who will not have Jimmy Howard in net after he played last night and also will likely be without proven commodities such as Dylan Larkin, Justin Abdelkader, Anthony Mantha, and Danny DeKeyser. Connor McDavid (EDM) McDavid will make his preseason debut tonight centering the Oilers top line alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ty Rattie. McDavid’s talent is all word, which obviously goes without saying and tonight facing a team mainly full of subs for Winnipeg, he’s in as good a spot as could be. Anders Lee (NYI) Lee is back in the lineup tonight against the Devils and will look to improve on his performance in his first preseason game when he was able to just fire one shot on goal. Lee set a career high with 40 goals last season including two in four games against the Devils. Lee does his dirty work in the front of the net as one of the leaders at his position in high danger scoring chances per 60 minutes. Look for him to make an impact tonight. Sneaky Skater Filip Zadina (DET) Zadina has created a lot of buzz in camp for the Red Wings coming in as the number six overall draft pick in this summers draft. He’s been skating with the speedy Andreas Athanasiou and veteran Thomas Vanek as a productive unit in training camp thus far. Zadina, who will be making his preseason debut was a force last season in Junior scoring 44 goals while dishing out 38 assists in 57 games for the Halifax Mooseheads. Zadina is slated to see powerplay time as well on the same unit with Athanasiou and Vanek. Top Positional Plays Center Jonathan Toews (CHI) Mikko Koivu (MIN) Brock Nelson (NYI) Andrew Copp (WPG) Nick Schmaltz (CHI) Frans Nielsen (DET) Ryan McLeod (EDM) – Prospect centering a line with Jesse Puljujarvi and Jujhar Khaira Sam Steel (ANA) – Great value play here centering the Ducks’ top line with Rakell and Perry on his wings. Wing Alex DeBrincat (CHI) – After a great rookie campaign, DeBrincat will look to take a big leap forward this season. He’s just $4,600 tonight. Zach Parise (MIN) – Looking to come back after two injury-plagued seasons. Jordan Eberle (NYI) Brandon Saad (CHI) Rickard Rakell (ANA) Corey Perry (ANA) Gustav Nyquist (DET) Jesse Puljujarvi (EDM) – Has looked great in camp, scored a goal in his last game. Jakob Silfverberg (ANA) – Skating on the second line as the top shooting option there with a high volume of shots on goal. Ty Rattie (EDM) Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (EDM) Charlie Coyle (MIN) Travis Zajac (NJD) Nino Niederreiter (MIN) Andreas Athanasiou (DET) Defense Oscar Klefbom (EDM) Jared Spurgeon (MIN) Jacob Trouba (WPG) Darnell Nurse (EDM) Hampus Lindholm (ANA) Josh Morrissey (WPG) Will Butcher (NJD) Julius Honka (DAL) Johnny Boychuk (NYI) Tim Heed (SJ) Favorite Line Stacks Edmonton Oilers First Line Nugent-Hopkins – McDavid – Rattie Chicago Blackhawks Second Line Saad – Schmaltz – Kane Minnesota Wild First Line Parise – Koivu – Niederreiter New York Islanders First Line Lee – Nelson – Eberle (not yet confirmed) Anaheim Ducks First Line Rakell – Steel – Perry GOOD LUCK!!
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 9/19 Pre-Season
*Note – These write-ups will be more detailed during the regular season as skater lines, data, and other factors are more clearcut. Games on the Slate Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers Tampa Bay Lightning at Carolina Hurricanes Pittsburgh Penguins at Detroit Red Wings Florida Panthers at Montreal Canadiens Toronto Maple Leafs at Ottawa Senators Top Goalies Frederik Andersen (TOR) Andersen starts in net tonight and will be backed up by Calvin Pickard. The Senators are not deploying much of their talent tonight with Mark Stone and Brady Tkachuk being the main skaters in tonights lineup. Outside of those two, and Tkachuk is an 18-year-old that projects to make the team, the Sens are trotting out a young group that is looking to make an impression. With the Maple Leafs starting a few of there bigger guns, Matthews and Marleau being a couple, Andersen should get the support he needs to earn a victory even if he only sees two periods of action. Roberto Luongo (FLA) The Panthers are sending their “A” squad into the Bell Centre tonight to take on the Canadiens who are in for a tough season. That Panthers game group includes Luongo who is slated to see at least two periods of action. Luongo is still very capable in between the pipes and with a good team in front of him seems poised to be a safe option tonight. Henrik Lundqvist (NYR) Hank will be backed up by Dustin Tokarski and it is unclear how deep into this game he will go tonight. He is priced down a bit at $7,200 making him a nice value as one of the lower priced starters in net tonight. Tristan Jarry (PIT) Jarry is expected to play the duration of this contest against the Red Wings who are still in the midst of their rebuild. Breaking news: It’s going to be a lengthy rebuild, especially with the sudden retirement of captain Henrik Zetterberg. Jarry, once a prized prospect now finds himself in a dog fight for the backup position with Casey De Smith who played last night and stopped 26 of 29 shots against. Jarry should be motivated and should get some support in front of him as the Penguins are the far superior group here. Key Three Skaters This section will cover my three favorite skaters for a particular slate overall. Vincent Trocheck (FLA) Vinnie is looking to build on his breakout season last year after finishing up with 31 goals and 44 assists in 82 games. He averaged over 21 minutes of ice time per game, 3.50 shots on goal per game, and piled up 27 power play points (13 goals). Basically, on most nights he was as reliable a fantasy asset at the center position as you could find relative to his salary. While most will side with his teammate Aleksander Barkov on most nights, Vinnie is the pivot that I often like to make as his speed is a huge part of his game. He’ll be centering the Panthers’ second line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Mike Hoffman as his wingers; a trio that should be dynamic with Trocheck’s all-around game, Huberdeau’s presence around the net, and Hoffman’s ability to shoot the puck. Auston Matthews (TOR) Matthews is slated to skate tonight after not playing in last nights affair against these same Senators in Lucan. He’ll play in the same arena that he played his first career regular season game, a game in which he scored four goals and had people going bananas. He has seven goals and five assists in eight career games against the Senators who are depleted of pretty much any talent they had after trading Erik Karlsson to San Jose. Matthews will likely skate on a line consisting of Patrick Marleau and Tyler Ennis who has been filling the void of Willie Nylander who’s going through a contract dispute. Sebastian Aho (CAR) After a very good rookie campaign, Aho followed it up last year with 29 goals and 36 assists in 78 games. The 21-year-old Fin is expected to skate on Carolina’s first line and top power-play unit. The Lightning are sending a very young, inexperienced group to Raleigh tonight while Carolina will have many of their regulars in the lineup along with Aho. Sneaky Skater Henrik Borgstrom (FLA) The 21-year-old Fin is going to have a shot to make an impression moving forward for the Panthers as he’s survived the first round of cuts. Bergstrom, the 23rd overall pick in the 2016 draft out of the University of Denver, where he scored 45 goals and dished out 50 assists in 77 games over two seasons, will look to make an impact skating on the third line with Jared McCann and Denis Malgin. Top Positional Plays Center Vinnie Trocheck (FLA) Auston Matthews (TOR) Aleksander Barkov (FLA) Mika Zibanajad (NYR) Jonathan Drouin (MTL) Jordan Staal (CAR) Martin Necas (CAR) Wing Sebastian Aho (CAR) Mike Hoffman (FLA) Jonathan Huberdeau (FLA) Claude Giroux (PHI) Patrick Marleau (TOR) Mark Stone (OTT) Pavel Buchnevich (NYR) Justin Williams (CAR) Ryan Spooner (NYR) Filip Chytil (NYR) – The 21st overall pick in the 2017 draft has made a good impression in camp thus far and is projected to play an important role as part of the Rangers’ rebuild. Brady Tkachuk (OTT) – The number four overall pick in this years draft out of Boston University is expected to be a major part of Ottawa’s rebuild. Tkachuk had eight goals and 23 assists in 40 games last season for BU. Joe Veleno (DET) – The Red Wings first round pick in this year’s draft has impressed in the early part of camp with his skating and puck moving ability, which is worth noting being that he was playing in Juniors last season. Defense Keith Yandle (FLA) Dougie Hamilton (CAR) Aaron Ekblad (FLA) Justin Faulk (CAR) Jeff Petry (MTL) Mid – Tier / Value Jaccob Slavin (CAR) Mikhail Sergachev (TB) Nikita Zaitsev (TOR) Justin Schultz (PIT) Jack Johnson (PIT) Brady Skjei (NYR) Brendan Smith
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 9/18 Pre-Season
*Note – These write-ups will be more detailed during the regular season as skater lines, data, and other factors are more clearcut. UPDATES HIGHLIGHTED IN RED Games on the Slate Pittsburgh Penguins at Buffalo Sabres Chicago Blackhawks at Columbus Blue Jackets Philadelphia Flyers at New York Islanders Carolina Hurricanes at Tampa Bay Lightning St. Louis Blues at Dallas Stars Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche Anaheim Ducks at San Jose Sharks Edmonton Oilers at Vancouver Canucks Top Goalies Semyon Varlamov (COL) Varly is slotted to start this game against Vegas who will be without the majority of their upper echelon players. Varlamov, who isexpected to play most of the game, went 24 and 16 last season with a .920 save percentage. Varly has displayed the ability to be one of the better goaltenders in hockey when he’s on. He’s finished second in the Vezina trophy (leagues top goaltender) voting once, during the 2013-2014 season and has started at least 50 games three out of the last four seasons. Injuries and consistent play have been part of his downfall at times, however, and there’s some unfinished business this season for him this year as he struggled through an injury-laden campaign last season before getting shut down late in the year. Chad Johnson (STL) Johnson is expected to play about 30 minutes in this game. His production in that time could be very telling. Over the last few years, Johnson has flashed in stops with the Flames and Sabres as a goaltender with talent while also looking dreadful over stretches at a time. Carter Hutton (BUF) Buffalo’s new starter, Hutton will start between the pipes tonight against the Penguins who are sending a very thin roster to take on the Sabres tonight. After spending the last two seasons in St. Louis, Hutton came over to Buffalo in the offseason and will assume the void of starter which was left by Robin Lehner who is now with the Islanders. Connor Ingram (TB) It appears as if the Lightning will get a look at youngster Connor Ingram in net in some capacity tonight against the Hurricanes. It’s unclear how much time the 21-year-old will see with starter Andrei Vasilevskiy also suiting up, but Ingram, who went 20-11 for the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL last season will see a Hurricanes team who will be without most of, if not all of their notable players while the Lightning will be trotting out most of their top group. Ingram should play enough to pay off his $7,300 price tag in before being lifted. I will track this situation as closely as I can to get more clarity. Anders Nilsson (VAN) Pretty good matchup and confirmed to play the entire game against Edmonton. Ben Bishop (DAL) Not high on my list as Dallas did a good job last year, and should continue to do so this season, in limiting shots on goal against. Bishop is worth noting, though because he is a starter and well established in net. Key Three Skaters This section will cover my three favorite skaters for a particular slate overall. Jack Eichel (BUF) Buffalo played last night with a different game group, but expect to load up with their predominant players tonight against the Penguins who are sending a group that involves a hand full of role players and mostly guys that are hoping to make the team. With that being said, expect Eichel on fresh legs to lead the Sabres charge with a high volume of shots and plenty of opportunities skating on the first line with Kyle Okposo and newcomer Jeff Skinner. Nathan MacKinnon (COL) MacKinnon broke out in a big way last year with 97 points (39 goals) in 74 games including 32 points on the power play while skating close to 20 minutes per game. MacKinnon is one of the best skaters in hockey in terms of speed and his hand-eye coordination, stick handling, and ability to shoot are all world. Centering the “420” line with Mikko Rantanen and captain Gabriel Landeskog, expect a big year once again from one of the most productive lines in hockey last season which starts with MacKinnon. Cam Atkinson (CBJ) Atkinson’s production took a bit of a step back last season but he was still able to net 24 goals in a season in which he dealt with some nagging injuries and missed some games. He was among the leaders at his position in high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes (HDSC/60) and averaged 3.55 shots on goal per game. It’s unclear who he’ll be skating with tonight seeing as how Artemi Panarin will NOT be suiting up for this game and Pierre-Luc Dubois will be absent as well. I would guess Cam skates on a line centered by Alex Wennberg and flanked on the opposite wing by Nick Foligno, but we will have more clarity as the day goes on. Sneaky Skater Liam Foudy (CBJ) The Blue Jackets will get a look at their 2018 first round pick for the first time in a pro game. Last season skating with the London Knights of the OHL, Foudy had 40 points (24 goals) in 65 games. The 18-year-old center iceman has a lot to prove but can find himself in an important role with the Jackets using his speed as an asset after they saw struggles from the center ice position, specifically from Alex Wennberg (who I think bounces back) and Brandon Dubinsky. Top Positional Plays Center Jack Eichel (BUF) Nathan MacKinnon (COL) Steven Stamkos (TB) Tyler Seguin (DAL) Brayden Point (TB) Mathew Barzal (NYI) Nolan Patrick (PHI) Alex Wennberg (CBJ) Ryan O’Reilly (STL) Liam Foudy (CBJ) Wing Nikita Kucherov (TB) Cam Atkinson (CBJ) Jeff Skinner (BUF) Gabriel Landeskog (COL) Mikko Rantanen (COL) Jamie Benn (DAL) Alex Radulov (DAL) Ondrej Palat (TB) Nick Foligno (CBJ) Travis Konecny (PHI) Jesse Puljujarvi (EDM) Anthony Beauvillier (NYI) Alexander Volkov (TB) – One of the Lightning top prospects. Scored 23 goals and added 22 assists in the AHL last season
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 9/17 Pre-Season
Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, FullTime Fantasy proudly bring to you – meh, nevermind. The point is that NHL DFS is back and for the first time DraftKings will be offering pre-season slates. The Point Shot will be the staple article regarding NHL DFS coverage this season. It will include detailed analysis on goalies, top skaters, and top teams to target on a given night as well as line stacks to consider building into your lineups. Without further ado, let’s get started! *Note – These write-ups will be more detailed during the regular season as skater lines, data, and other factors are more clearcut. Games on the Slate Buffalo Sabres at Columbus Blue Jackets New York Islanders at Philadelphia Flyers Minnesota Wild at Winnipeg Jets Top Goalies Laurent Broissoit (WPG) Broissoit is slated to start and play the majority of the tilt with Eric Comrie possibly seeing some time in relief, depending on Brossoit’s workload through the first two periods. Brossoit had previously been Cam Talbot’s backup in Edmonton over the past few seasons and has flashed at times with some talent but hasn’t been able to sustain any consistent success. he’s competing for the backup job with Connor Hellebuyck locked in as the Jets’ starter. Thomas Greiss (NYI) Greiss gets the nod for the Isles playing their second game in as many nights against the Flyers. He’s expected to be backed up/relieved by Jeremy Smith. It was a bit of an up and down season last year for Greiss who is competing with former Sabres goalie Robin Lehner for the full-time gig. Key Three Skaters This section will cover my three favorite skaters for a particular slate overall. Patrik Laine (WPG) Laine is slated to skate tonight with familiar linemates Nikolaj Ehlers and Bryan Little. Laine is coming off of an 82 games season in which he buried 44 goals, 20 of which came on the power play. At 20-years-old, the Fin is entering his third full season after being selected second overall in the 2016 draft. He’s already established himself as one of the best pure goal scorers in the league with room still to improve. Pierre-Luc Dubois (CBJ) Dubois saw a lot of time as the top line center for the Blue Jackets last season as a 19-year-old. The rookie played in all 82 games totaling 48 points (28 goals) including six tallies and 15 points overall on the power-play. Buffalo had a tough time defending the center-ice position last season and should continue to do so moving forward to a degree with the loss of Ryan O’Reilly and lack of experience up the middle. Josh Bailey (NYI) Bailey had by far his best season in 2017-2018 since coming into the league in 2008 after being the number eight overall pick in that year’s draft. He was an elite playmaker at the wing position last year dishing out 53 assists, 26 of which came on the power play. With the Law Firm being broken up now with John Tavares signing with Toronto, Bailey is slated to skate on a line with Anders Lee and Mathew Barzal once the regular season gets going. For tonight, though, Bailey should see time with Lee and Brock Nelson, who comes in at a great value. Nelson has been a member of the Islanders for a while and has built up somewhat of a chemistry with Bailey over the years. Sneaky Skater Alexander Nylander (BUF) The eighth-overall pick from the 2016 draft is looking to make an impact with the Sabres at left wing. He’s played in just seven NHL games over the last two seasons and has been somewhat of a disappointment. He’ll be pushing to make the Sabres out of camp and be looking to build on a very solid performance in the Prospects Challenge. The 20-year-old has a lot of ability and should start to put it all together. Top Positional Plays Center Bryan Little (WPG) Pierre-Luc Dubois (CBL) Joel Eriksson Ek (MIN) Evan Rodrigues (BUF) Brock Nelson (NYI) Wing Patrik Laine (WPG) Nik Ehlers (WPG) Anders Lee (NYI) Josh Bailey (NYI) Claude Giroux (PHI) James van Riemsdyk (PHI) Charlie Coyle (MIN) Sonny Milano (CBJ) Anthony Duclair (CBJ) Defense Top Tier Dustin Byfuglien (WPG) Shayne Gostisbehere (PHI) Ivan Provorov (PHI) Mid / Value Tier Nathan Beaulieu (BUF) Markus Nutivaara (CBJ) David Savard (CBJ) Dennis Seidenberg (NYI) Favorite Line Stacks Winnipeg Jets First Line Laine – Little – Ehlers New York Islanders First Line Lee – Nelson – Bailey Columbus Blue Jackets First Line Milano – Dubois – Duclair GOOD LUCK!!
